OFSTED
10 January 2023
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Good
OEIF
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour & attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership & management
Good
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Free schools
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Swindon
Trust
GREAT WESTERN ACADEMY LIMITED
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,039
1,039 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
505
48.6% of pupils
Male pupils
534
51.4% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
9.5 pts
below England
School
15.3%
Swindon
20.9%
South West
20.1%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
8.4 pts
below England
School
11.9%
Swindon
25.2%
South West
10.7%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
3.2 pts
above England
School
4.2%
Swindon
2.1%
South West
1.5%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
67.1%
697
Any other White background
10.1%
105
African
5.3%
55
Unclassified
2.7%
28
Indian
2.4%
25
Any other Asian background
2.0%
21
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
14.8%
154 of
1,039 pupils
6.0 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
3.5 pts
below
England
6.0%
2.5 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
45.5
6.3 pts
above England
Latest published: 0.12 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
6.93%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
0.71 pts
higher than
England
School
6.93%
Swindon
6.16%
South West
6.20%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
19.21%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
3.40 pts
higher than
England
School
19.21%
Swindon
15.33%
South West
15.08%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
2.51%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
0.70 pts
higher than
England
School
2.51%
Swindon
1.90%
South West
1.90%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
85.9%
6.5 pts
below England
Great Western Academy
85.9%
Swindon
85.1%
South West
88.7%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.